Autoamtic garage building



July 10, 1962 A. GHIONDA 3,043,451

AUTOMATIC GARAGE BUILDING I Filed May 4, 1960 s Sheets-Sheet 1 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 4, 1960 Mum 70A Gym/m4 1 llllllllll II II lllllc. I I l l I I! July 10, 1962 Filed May 4, 1960 A. GHIONDA AUTOMATIC GARAGE BUILDING 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 /w l ll W a INVENTOR 1 4/VDA5 ///0/Vfi4 ATTORNEY This invention has for its object to provide an automatic multi-stored garage building for automotive vehicles in which each of a number of elevators serve on each story a pair of car-receiving compartments or boxes arranged on its two opposite faces, the automatic passing of a car from the elevator into the one or the other car-parking compartments (admission) or from the one or the other of the car-parking compartments into the elevator (exit) being remotely controlled from a operating station which may be provided on the ground floor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a garage building as aforesaid wherein it is the force of gravity of the car to be parked which provides the necessary motive power for causing the same to be transferred from one position to the other owing to proper inclination in the required direction whether toward the elevator platform or toward the car-parking box or compartment platform so that the car rolls by itself into the box or compartment or from the latter, this garage being therefore characterized by the fact that the platform associated with the elevator and the platform associated with each car-parking box or compartment are pivotally supported by rocking axes, each platform being provided with rolling and guiding runways for the car wheels. Owing to this construction, when it is desired to park a car, the car is driven by its own engine to the platform associated with the elevator after the same has been lowered to ground level, after the car engine has been stopped and the driver has left the car. without applying the brakes (stop or chock members being provided as safety cleats properly to hold the car in waiting position) and the elevator is sent up to the selected story, whereafter its platform is rocked in order to slant toward the selected car-receiving box, the control of said rocking motion causing a withdrawal of the holding cleats.

so that the freed car slowly and safely .rolls down into its receiving box by a rolling motion on the associated runways, whereas conversely when it is desired to dis-' engage a car from the box or compartment in which it was housed, it is only suflicient for the operator from the ground level to actuate the corresponding platform so as to cause the car to roll back upon the elevator platform which can then be lowered to the ground level to permit the car to be rolled off the elevator into the street.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a garage building as aforesaid wherein in order to cause the inclination movement of the platforms by causing them to swing about their horizontal pivotal axes, the possibility is afforded to resort to miscellaneous technical means such as linkages actuated by electric motors, traction cables, mechanical, hydraulic or pneumatic jacks. and the like. 7

A further object of the invention is to provide a garage building as aforesaid in which the platform of each carreceiving box or compartment may be rockably carried by a stationary axis parallel and adjacent its front edge (near the elevator) and equipped near its rear edge witha pneumatic jack adapted, when in released position, to leave the platform in horizontal or slightly slanting position toward the bottom end of the car-receiving box so as to prevent the car from accidentally rolling outside the box, while being capable, when subjected to pressure, inversely to incline the platform toward the elevaatent O tor by the provision of two pairs or trunnions fixed at- I 3,043,451 Patented July 10, 1962 ice either ends to the platform parallel to its edges, said trunnions restingwhen in normal position on the bottom face of substantially vertical slideways secured to the chassis, whereby when the platform is raised at one of its ends, it moves angularly about the trunnions located at the other end which rest upon the bottom of their slideways while the trunnions corresponding to the raised end glide through their own slideways, the'latter having a circular shape and being revoluble about the axis of the first pair of trunnions, a pair of pneumatic jacks being provided for lifting the respective ends of the platform, whereby the car may be caused to roll down into the one or the other of the side boxes or compartments, remotely controlled means being advantageously provided (for example in the form of pneumatic jacks) for procuring an interlocking engagement of the contiguous edges of the elevator platform and the platform on the served side so that the runways of both platforms are properly centhe other of two opposite directions) for causing admis' sion or exit of the cars by combining the movements of said platform with those of the elevator platform itself, said platform being for example hingedly supported by a pair of side trunnions or about a common central axis and being actuated by a pair of jacks, its vertical movement through the elevator cage being controlled by a pair of push button switches so that it can be stopped at each story of the garage building at one or the other of two different levels depending upon whether a car must be admitted into a car-receiving box or compartment or conversely extracted from said box.

With these and such other objects in view as will incidentally appear hereafter, the invention comprises the novel construction and combination of parts that will be now described with reference to the accompanying dia-' grammatic drawings exemplifying the same and forming a part of the present disclosure.

In the drawings: r FIGURE 1 is an elevational view showing the elevator platform and one of the car-receiving boxes or compartments located at its opposite ends.

FIGURE 2, is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 1.

FIGURE 3 is a transverse vertical view drawn to a larger scale showing how the runways are constituted.

FIGURE 4 is a detail view showing the interlocking engagement device of the two platforms by their contiguous edges for ensuring relative motionless hold thereof as a car is being transferred.

FIGURES 5 and 6 are detail views drawn to a larger scale of part of the check means and part of the'interconnecting means, respectively.

As represented, the platform 1 of each car-receiving box or compartment B (FIG. 1) is mounted for free oscillatory motion about a stationary axis 2 carried by the floor 3 and located nearer the front edge 4 than the rear edge 5' so that, under normal conditions, solely responsive to the weight of the platform (whether empty or laden by a car or like vehicle of any type) said platform remains inclined rearwardly of the box B by abutting against a stationary stop on the flow framework 6. Said inclination is a safety means in order that the car parked on the rolling runways 13b and whose front or rear wheels rest upon spring-urged abutments 7 should be maintained by its own weight in the position that it has assumed.

The platform 1 is provided with a dual locking system owing to which it is locked with the elevator E as explained hereafter and with a stationary stop member 12 which blocks said platform 1 in its inclined position. This locking system includes adjacent its front edge 4 near the elevator B an opened or socket member 8 having a flaring mouth 8a directed toward said elevator (see FIGS. 1 and 4) and provided with a rearward cylindrical extension 8b in which is housed a spring 9 which under normal conditions repels into the flaring mouth 8a of the member 8 the head 10 of a rod 11. As said head is pushed leftwards (looking at FIG. 4) thereby compressing its spring 9, its rod 11 is pushed leftwards to the end of its stroke. As said rod 11 terminates in a hook 11', when its head 10 resumes its position rightwards under the action of its return spring 9, the hook 11 engages a buckle 12 fixed to the framework and securely locks the platform 1 in its slanting position. The runways 13b are constituted, just like the runways 13a of the elevator E (FIG. 3) by a series of parallel strips whose upper edges are distributed along a concave curve upwardly (viewed in cross section) so that the car wheel has a tendency when rolling automatically to remain in the middle of the path. A pair of higher side strips 14b form guards which prevent the car Wheel from escaping the prescribed path.

The platform 15 of the elevator E (see FIGS. 1 to 4) is provided, as aforesaid, with a runway 13c having side guards Me as those provided on the box B and is pivotally supported by a horizontal oscillatory axis 16-16 midway of its length by a chassis 17 suspended to cables 18 and gliding owing to sliders 19 along guides 20 of. usual type. Jacks 21, 21 carried by the chassis 17 which permanently remains horizontal permit either the one or the other of the ends of the platform 15 to be lifted and to be inclined toward the one or the other of the car-receiving boxes or parking compartments B B owing to a rocking motion about the stationary axis 1616.

When a car has been brought up on said platform and its Wheels rest on the runways 13c, said car is held in position by two pairs of cleats or buffers 22, 22 and 22', 22' each of which is constituted by a set of strips carried by a common frame 23 at the end of the runways. Each pair of buffers may be either set up in actual buffer position or lowered into retracted position underneath the runway owing to the action of a piston 24 or 24' movable through a cylinder fed by compressed air. For that pur pose, the rod 24a of the piston 24 considered by way of example has mounted thereon a member 25 (viewed edgewise in FIG. 4 and in plan view drawn to a larger scale in FIG. 6) which cooperates with rollers 26 mounted idly upon the axis of a cross member 27 capable of being shifted vertically together with the frame 23. The latter is guided at its ends by slideways 28, 28 fixed to the floor element of the platform 15. The member 25 is provided on its upper face with a part 25a having a circular outline and forming a resting cradle for the rollers 26 held when the buffer is in raised postion and a part 2512 having a rectilinear outline arranged next to the first cited part for forming a ramp on which the upwardly or downwardly rolling rollers on the frame 23 can move.

In inoperative condition, as the piston 24 is at the rightward end of its stroke (see FIG. 4) the set of strips forming the buffer 22 which has assumed its buffer position is kept in this position by its rollers 26 resting in the cradle 25a. If now compressed air is introduced behind the piston 24, the member 25 is shifted leftwards, whereupon the rollers 26 are moved off their cradle and roll down the ramp 25b while the buffer 22 is retracted underneath the runway (see the dotted line position in FIG. 3) and the car wheels may freely pass. The buffers 22 are prevented frorn forwardly falling owing to an abutment bar 30 arranged midway of the buffers (FIG. 4). The rod 24a of the piston 24 extends beyond the member 25 in the form of a spindle .29 which, owing to its cooperation with the funnel-shaped socket part 8 of the box platform 1 performs a temporary hinged connection between the edges of both platforms during the transfer of a vehicle from the one to the other. The flaring portion 8a of the socket part 8 facilitates the insertion of the spindle 29 if perchance the elevator platform is not, as it reaches the level of the box, exactly coplanar with the box platform.

The member 25 carries through the medium of a cross beam 31 a set of parallel strips 32 extending between the strips 13e of the elevator platform runways. As the member 25 is forwardly shifted with the spindle 29 toward the box platform, the strips 132 penetrate through the spaces between the strips 13b of the box platform runways, thus permitting the car wheels easily to pass over the gap between the front edge 4 of the platform 1 and the contiguous edge of the platform 15 of the elevator E. As the movement of the piston rod 24a is continued leftwards, the spindle 29 is driven toward the bottom of the flaring mouth 8a of the socket part 8 and repels the head 10 of the rod 11 and consequently the latter, thereby bringing its hook 11 to the rear of the stationary buckle 12' for performing the looking action when the piston 24 is returned rightwards and the rod 11 has been pushed back forwardly by the pressure of the spring 9 on its head 10.

The operation takes place as follows:

Assuming a car requiring to be parked to be in waiting position on the elevator platform between the raised buffers 22-, 22' after it has been actuated by operating the usual control switch as commonly used in elevator cabins to the story corresponding to the selected carreceiving box (for example the box B compressed air is first fed to the piston 24 so as to provide a hinged junction between both platforms and to push the rod 11 to the end of its stroke while moving the member 25 to the left owing to a retraction of the buffers 22. It is then only sufiicient to actuate the jack 21 for rocking the platform 15 and for causing the car to roll down into the box. When the car has hit the buffers 7,-the car weight added to the platform weight automatically brings back the platform 1 to its rearwardly inclined position against the framework 6. By then moving back the piston 24 rearwardly, the two platforms are disconnected, whereupon the interlocking engagement at 11-12 is effected and the member 25 comes back from its dotted line position (FIG. 4) to its nonnal position. The rollers 26 roll on the ramp 25b and raise the buffer 22 while resuming their position in the cradles 25a. Consequently the platform has resumed its initial condition and may be lowered to ground level.

Assuming now the reverse operation having to be effected i.e. a car having to be extracted from the box or compartment in which it was housed, the platform 15 is moved to its normal stopping level on the story corresponding to the box or compartment B The piston 24 is actuated, whereupon the two platforms are coupled together while the buffers 22 are retracted and the interlocking engagement 11--12 is suppressed. The possibility is then offered by manipulating a special switch for controlling the motion of the elevator cabin to lower the platform 15 by a few centimeters while it remains horizontal as it is supported by the two jacks 21, 21'. Lowering of the front edge 4 of the platform 1 imparts thereto, as it is not locked at 12, such an inclination as will cause it to roll down toward the elevator. By moving back the piston 24 rightwards, the two platforms are decoupled, the buffer 22 being lifted ahead of the car wheels so that the car can be lowered to ground level. The car is moved from the elevator by forward or rearward driving after the buffers 22 or 22' have been retracted by the piston 24 or 24'.

Minor constructional details may be varied without departing'from the scope of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-storied automatic garage building for storing and parking vehicles comprising an elevator including a horizontal chassis, a tiltable platform rockably carried by a horizontal pivot on said chassis, control means for inclining said platform, a plurality of car-parking compartments toward which said tiltable platform can be inclined, each compartment including a pivotable platform carried by a further horizontal pivot, a stationary framework supporting said further horizontal pivot, chock means movably disposed in said tiltable platform to maintain a vehicle Within predetermined limits while said elevator is moving vertically, locking means including an abutment means on said stationary framework and latching means disposed on said pivotable platform to lock said pivotable platform in an inclined position when the vehicle has been deposited thereon from said elevator, and

interconnecting means disposed on said tiltable platform and said pivotable platform to interconnect said platforms to deposit and remove vehicles from said pivotable platform and for actuating said chock and locking means.

2. A multi-storied automatic garage according to claim 1 in which said chock means consist of at least two slideways mounted below said tiltable platform in a substantially vertical direction, cleats disposed in said slideways .to be movable therein, and a cross member connected between said cleats and said interconnecting means for moving said cleats from an upward vehicle maintaining position to a downward position so that said vehicle can move thereover when said interconnecting means is actuated to interconnect said platforms.

3. A multi-storied automatic garage according to claim 1 in which said latching means consists of a socket member having a flaring mouth directed toward said elevator and being provided with a rearward cylindrical extension, a rod mounted on said pivotable platform for reciprocating movement having one end terminating into a hook member and the other end disposed in said socket memer, a spring member disposed in said rearward extension and being connected to the other end of said rod to bias a portion of the other end of said rod into said flaring 6 mouth of said socket member which is acted upon by said interconnecting means to reciprocate said rod to lock said pivotable platform in an inclined position after a vehicle is deposited thereon and to unlock said pivotable platform from its inclined position to remove the vehicle therefrom.

4. A multi-storied automatic ganage according to claim 1 in which said interconnecting means consists of a socket member mounted on said pivotable platform and having a flaring mouth directed toward said elevator, a reciprocable rod mounted on said tiltable platform having a piston mounted on one end and a spindle mounted on the other end, said piston being disposed in a cylinder, means connected to said cylinder to actuate said piston for moving said spindle into engagement with said flaring mouth of said socket member when said platforms are disposed in substantially the same plane to interlock said platforms, and means connected to said reciprocable rod for controlling the movement of said chock means.

5. A multi-storied automatic garage according to claim 4 in which said last-mentioned means consist of roller members mounted on said chock means, a member having a cradle portion and an inclined rectilinear ramp secured to said reciprocable rod and movable therewith, said roller members disposed in said cradle portion when said reciprocable rod is in one position to maintain said chock means in a vehicle retaining position and said roller members being movable along said inclined rectilinear ramp to move said positioning means downwardly when said reoiprocable rod is in another position.

6. A multi-storied automatic garage according to claim 1 in which said further horizontal pivot is disposed nearer to said elevator so that said pivotal platform remains inclined during the absence of a vehicle thereon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,288,567 Hall Dec. 24, 1918 1,925,442 Fournier Sept. 5, 1933 2,663,446 Romain Dec. 22, 1953 2,915,203 Kurmer Dec. 1, 1959 

